Cuisine Elegante — Local services in Paris

Véronique offers the opportunity to tap into a significant part of French culture and shares her appreciation of food being more than sustenance, but rather something that brings people together. My husband and myself, with our two teenage children, spent what we consider our best day in France, on Véronique’s market tour and cooking class. We started the morning at the market where Véronique seemingly danced her way through as she exchanged pleasantries with vendors with whom she’s been working with for as many as twenty years. We chose our meal ahead of time, so she knew exactly where to source the best ingredients and along the way, provided insight to French cooking techniques and what to look for when shopping for produce, cheeses, and meats. Her passion for food and cooking was evident in every selection and interaction with shop owners. Once we finalized our choice of ingredients, Véronique took us to the oldest patisserie in Paris, Stohrer on the infamous Rue Cler. The only difficult part of the morning was choosing which pastries as they were almost too beautiful to eat. We then returned to Véronique’s stunning Parisian apartment and began cooking away. She easily guided us through every recipe and tasked us with a portion of the meal, which made it exciting to see the results of everyone’s efforts. My kids were thoroughly engaged and openly expanded their palates, largely because of how Véronique spoke to the beauty of each ingredient and how they come together to create a beautiful mélange of flavors. Once the food was prepared, we settled into her elegant dining room, popped a bottle of champagne and began the feast. We shared meaningful conversation and genuine laughter with Véronique. She was truly a joy to spend the day with; we left with both hearts and bellies full. We cannot recommend her classes enough! They are more than a cooking class, but a testament to why food is so integral in...

If you are an American in Paris looking to taste, see, and experience the city through the senses of a local chef, look no further than Veronique at Cuisine Elegante.

In the market tour, she brings you to heart of gastronomy as you explore the finest fruits, vegetables, cheeses, seafood, and meats in the streets of Paris. A chef who values farm to table, she only chooses the freshest ingredients from each of her designated vendors. Having grown up on a farm, Veronique cherishes quality ingredients for each season and she will teach you how to choose the ingredients for the best meal.

The cooking lesson is an experience like none other. Veronique’s years of passion for food, motherhood, and hospitality are injected into her recipes. You will learn the basic techniques of French cooking based on your preferences. She works well with food allergies and understands how to accomodate all needs.

In her elegant Parisian apartment, sunlight streamed through the open windows of her kitchen with the sounds of happy school children playing outside. In the heart of her home, she taught me knife skills, how to develop French sauces, how to pair flavor profiles, how to whip an unforgettable chocolate mousse, and much more.

Each dish was perfectly balanced and delicious. The meal we prepared together was both comfort food and gourmet. So many food memories were made in these few hours that will last a lifetime. Veronique’s warmth rounded out each dish and brought smiles to my entire family.

Cooking with Veronique was the highlight of my gastronomic tour in Paris. I left the lesson with confidence that I can make similar recipes for my family when I return to the United States. I am excited to continue the Paris dream cuisine at my own home in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Te revoir encore! Merci Beaucoup,...

My wife and I love to cook, so we knew we wanted to do a fun cooking/market experience while we were in Paris. What we didn’t know is how special that experience would turn out to be. After much research and deliberating with our travel agent, we booked a market/shopping and cooking experience with Veronique (Cuisine Elegante). Our half day with Veronique was so special for so many reasons. First of all, Veronique is a wonderful person with a wonderful heart and disposition – we had so much fun getting to know her and her stories about Paris as we walked from market-to-market shopping for the meal we would cook together. As we shopped in various markets and local stores for our ingredients, we got to experience Paris as a local would – stopping to chat with the shop owners and learning about the freshness of everything we were buying. The exploration and shopping with Veronique would have been enough, assuredly. Then there was the cooking part. We were warmly welcomed into Veronique’s home which was beautiful and perfectly situated in town (and with charming views). We hung out, had some wine, cooked our food and just felt like family– something that I cannot imagine you will find with any other local chef. This was easily one of the most memorable portions of a very memorable trip (we were in France/Italy for 2 weeks). Veronique is a wonderful chef, incredibly knowledgeable about food and Paris, and is as warm and welcoming to her guests as she is talented with her food. Thank...